Vertically-adjustable grate.



UNITED STATES rA'rE T OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. PIPER, LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES PIPER,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

, VERTICALLY-ADJUSTABLE GRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

monwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vertically-Adjustable Grates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vertically adjustable grates for su porting the bed of fuel at a greater or less distance from the top plate of a cooking stove or range.

The grate-bars herein described are so constructed and supported that they may be turned by a wrench or handle applied outside of the stove or range to the ivots of the grate-bars, so that the raising an lowering of said grate-bars require the ends of the firebox and the fire-box linings, if such are used, to be slotted vertically.

The object of this invention is to prevent the ingress of air through the slots in the ends of the fire-box and to prevent fuel and ashes from filling said slots and thus preventing the operation of the adjusting means.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a cookingstove provided with my invention through the combustion-chamber on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an elevation of the outer side of one of the cover plates, showing beveled holes; Fig. 4, an elevation of the outer side of a grate-bar lifter and rack and an end view of the grate-frame; Fig. 5, a horizontal section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2 of a part of a side plate of a stove and of the lifter rack and of the way inwhich said rack travels; Fig. 6, a partial plan of the grate-including the frame and bars and one of the lifters; Fig. 7, a side elevation of locking means for the lifter shaft.

The side plates A A the top-plate B provided with holes I) b ;,covers b '6 the ashchamber C ash-pan D; combustion-chamber E with lining e 6 the doors F F the duplex grate G G; the grate frame J; these parts are all of the ordinary construction and operation except as hereinafter described.

It Will be understood that the grateframe is stationary and is usually provided at each end with U-shaped journal boxes or grooves,

f in which turn the pivots or arbors g g of the one or more grate-bars which support the fuel.

' whic The pivot g, at one end of each grate-bar is lon er than the pivot g at the other end of sai grate-bar and projects through the sideplate A to be engaged by a suitable wrench.

The fire-brick or other lining e e rests on the rate-frame and as usually constructed, won (1 prevent the grate-bar pivots from being lifted.

I form in the lining, vertical slots 6 e at each end of the fire-box or combustion-chamber of a sufiicient vertical length to permit the grate to be raised to the desired height.

I arrange at each end of the fire-box outside of the same a lifter H H to which is secured a rack L L as by casting said rack in one piece with said lifter or otherwise in any convenient manner, which rack depends vertically from said lifter and is uided in a suitable way M M? (Figs. 1, 2 an 5).

A horizontal shaft N is journaled in the side-plates A A below the grate-frame J and has rlgidly secured thereto two equal pinions O O which engage the racks L L respectively, so that by turning said shaft N, said lifters H II. will be raised equally. One end a of the shaft N projects through the sideplate A and is many-sided or otherwise adapted to be engaged by a wrench, preferably the same wrench as is used to tip the grate-bars. 3

In this invention the pivots 9vg of the grate-bars are journaled in grooves hh in the lifters HH One of said lifters H, the one at the end of the fire-box, at which the shaft N and the grate-bars G G are operated, is provided with an upwardly-extending plate k which serves to some extent to prevent the escape of dust when the door F is open and the grate-bars are being turned. The late is rovided with two slots h 'h allow t e adjacent ends or pivots of the grate-bars to be lifted by hand sufficiently to lace thereon the usual gears.

When t e grates are raised they may beprevented from descending by a notched catch P (Fig. 7) which slides longitudinally on the sidelate A and fits the projecting fiat-sided en portion n of the shaft N.

The slot or groove (1 in the side-plate A opens at the top into the usual opening or door-space a (Fig. 1) to permit the introduction and removal of the shaft'N.

With the invention above described, the

. grate-frame need serve no other purpose than to support the fire-brick or lining, because the catch by preventing the shaft N from rotation will hold the grate in its lowest or any other position.

To prevent air from entering the fire-box through the slots 6 e and interfering with the draft and to prevent ashes and fuel from filling said slots and hindering the lifting of the grate-bars, I use two cover-plates K Il each provided with two outwardly flaring round holes 7c M, through which the pivots g g are passed and I form in the inner faces of the end linings of the lire-box two recesses E E in which these cover-plates are guided as the grate-bars are raised and lowered. The outward flare of the holes it It allow the cover-plates K K to incline outwardl 1 against the linings of the fire-box and prevent fuel from getting outside of said coverplate.

It will be seen that this invention enables the grate to be raised While burning fuel is in the combustion-chamber, so that it is not necessary to empty the combustion-chamber before adjusting the height of the grate.

I claim as my invention: 1. The combination in a stove, of a firebox having vertical slots, grate-bars having ivots which extend through said slots, Fifters, for raising and lowering said gratebars and cover-plates arranged in said fireseam box and extending over said slots and movable with said bars, to prevent material from enterin said slots from said lire-box.

2. The combination in a stove, of a lire box having vertical slots, and having guide recesses, grate-bars having pivots which e.\' tend through said slots, lifters, for raising and lowering said grate-bars, and cover-plates arranged in said lire-box and extending over said slots and movable with said bars, in said recesses, to prevent material from entering said slots from said lire-box.

3. The combination in a stove, of a firebox having vertical slots, and having guide recesses, grate-bars having pivots which extend through said slots, lifters, for raising and lowering said grate-bars, and cover-plates arranged in said lire-box over said slots and having outwardly flaring holes, through which said pivots extend to allow said plates to incline outwardly against said lire-box, to prevent material from entering said slots from said fire-box.

In witness whereof, I have allixed my sig nature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH 'vV. PIPER.

Witnesses ALBERT M. Moons, LUDGER A. NIUOL. 

